Job Information
International Rescue Committee Partnerships Manager in Gaza, Palestine
Requisition ID: req52573
Job Title: Partnerships Manager
Sector: Program Administration
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No
Location: Gaza, occupied Palestinian Territory (oPT)
Work Arrangement:In-person
Job Description
The IRC launched an emergency response in oPt in 2023, responding to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. Prior to October 7th, in June 2023, we conducted a scoping mission to oPt, in the West Bank, and subsequently developed a strategic plan to initiate programming in the West Bank. Since then, and in the context of catastrophic fighting and renewed violence, the IRC has initiated an emergency response in Gaza and developed a response plan with partners which includes Gaza and the West Bank. Implementing a diverse, integrated program of health, protection, cash, and scaling up in WASH and nutrition, these programs prioritize local partnerships with both public institutions and civil society, and span emergency, humanitarian, recovery, and development modalities, while serving vulnerable Palestinians in oPt.
Position Overview
The Partnerships Manager is a key position supporting the oPt to develop and manage strong partnerships with a wide variety of partners in line with IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) policy and donor regulations.
Key responsibilities
Promote Effective and Respectful Partnerships
• Promote and apply the IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results system (PEERS).
• Contribute to building a strong understanding of PEERS throughout the country program team, and to ensuring that IRC’s partnership principles, skills and approaches are applied by staff across programs and projects with partners.
• Support in building a culture of effective and respectful partnerships. Foster and Promote attitudes and values conducive to collaborative partnerships across the field staff and among partners based on a clear and shared understanding of IRC’s strategy, role and approach, and IRC’s core partnership principles.
• Ensure that IRC’s partnership principles, skills, and approaches are applied across programs and projects.
• Facilitate systematic partner feedback on IRC’s management of the partnership relationship, including documentation of and response to partner feedback.
• Support the partnerships coordinator in representing the IRC’s partnerships effort in Gaza through maintaining effective communication with other INGO, NGO, local organizations, and partners.
Partnership Management
• Support the partnership management process; from identification, development, risk management, project and agreement development, sub-award management, monitoring and accountability, through to closure – ensuring cross-collaboration with partnerships team and all program, operations and finance component.
• Conduct & coordinate Partner Identity and Background Review (Vetting) processes, including completion of the vetting report.
• Review Partners’ submitted proposals and budgets and support key technical and finance staff in this task before Project Lead sign off.
• Coordinate and co-lead Partnership Capacity Analysis (PCA) processes, including contributing to and facilitating the collaborative risk analysis and management.
• Coordinate with project leads to agree/review appropriate partnership agreement type and draft agreement, taking into account the due diligence outcomes and specific project and donor requirements.
• Liaising with HQ for approvals and/or review of documents and agreements.
• Support and co-lead Partnership Project Opening, Review and Closing Meetings, together with the relevant team members.
• Coordinate and participate in timely and effective partner program, finance, and compliance monitoring, and work with the technical leads and finance staff to address any project performance issues.
• Work collaboratively with partners and IRC staff to constructively resolve any issues that may arise.
• Support in providing coaching and training for partners and/or coordinate providing training and support to partners staff as per the identified support plan.
• Coordinate narrative reporting processes and liaise with finance on finance reporting processes, including review and feedback.
• Coordinate any partner support / capacity development as identified during the PCA or implementation.
• Coordinate with Finance to ensure timely transfer of payments to partners.
• Draft and process sub-awards modifications in a timely manner ensuring that the relevant IRC units (in-country and at the HQ) provide their inputs and approve the modification.
• Maintain complete and organized partnership files for each partner.
• Maintain up to date Partnership Tracker/Monitoring Schedule.
• Support the Partnerships Coordinator with partnership agreement closeout processes.
Partnership Strategy and Program Approach:
• Coordinate the IRC’s external engagement with NGO, INGO and UN actors in Gaza with respect to local partnerships to establish and maintain strategic partnership relationships.
• Ensure that we ‘Partner First and as Equals’ in accordance with the IRC Strategy Action Plan.
• Collaborate with the Partnerships Coordinator and program leads to proactively identify potential partnerships with NGOs and local organizations, including deliberate pursuit of partner entities that are led by women and serve women and girls.
• Support the Partnerships Coordinator and program leads to proactively engage Gaza based partners in program development efforts and ensure that their inputs are incorporated and integrated into and resourced in all new business development.
Other duties
• Travel to IRC implementation locations in Palestine to undertake capacity development, training, and monitoring, as applicable.
• Update internal systems for data management and awards trackers (OTIS)
• Liaise with other IRC departments and teams.
• Other relevant duties as assigned by the Partnerships Coordinator to further IRC partnerships.
Requirements:
Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:
• Understanding and practical experience of project management principles throughout the full project lifecycle (positioning to closeout), including budgeting and financial reporting.
• Excellent communication, influencing and interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively manage a variety of relationships in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to tailor language to different audiences and needs.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate equally effectively with colleagues in ‘remote’ and diverse teams.
• Strong attention to detail to ensure own work, and work of others is of a consistent high quality in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
• Solid organisational skills; detail-oriented; ability to multi-task and prioritise tasks, and to learn quickly.
• Ability to work autonomously and under remote management.
• Good IT skills (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Ability to travel.
Languages:
• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.
Education & Experience:
• At least 4 years’ experience in grant/contract management including business development.
• Bachelor’ s degree
• Experience in managing different types of partnerships including local and international organizations, government, and private sector.
• Experience in building and maintaining relationships with senior staff across different teams and functions, including those based in other geographical locations.
• Genuine interest in and commitment to collaborating with local partners for effective and context-appropriate humanitarian response.
• Demonstrated understanding of project planning and management cycles, including strong program design skills.
• Experience training, facilitating dialogue, and promoting action across both internal colleagues and external partners.
Key Working Relationships
• Reports to the Partnerships Coordinator with no management responsibilities for the current period.
• Works in close coordination with:
• Internal
o Grants, programs, MEAL and Communications departments
o HQ Awards Management Unit
o Subawards and Compliance & Legal teams at HQ
o Finance department on matters of financial management
o Operations teams – Field managers, procurement, HR, safeguarding and safety/security
• External
o Partner Organizations